PANUPS: Top Ten Pesticide Companies

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P A N U P S
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Pesticide Action Network
North America
Updates Service
http://www.panna.org/panna/
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April 30, 1997
Top Ten Agrochemical Companies in 1996
The top ten agrochemical companies all showed an increase in
both dollar and national currency sales in 1996. Monsanto had
the highest rate of growth, with a 22.8% increase over 1995
sales. Zeneca also showed double digit growth -- an 11.3%
increase in dollar sales with a 9% increase in volume. Bayer
had the smallest growth in sales (1.2%) and fell from third
place in 1995 to sixth. After last year's merger of Ciba
Geigy and Sandoz, the newly formed multinational corporation
Novartis entered the ranking in first place.
1996 Agrochemical Sales of Top Ten Companies
Company Sales (US$ mill.) % change vs. 1995
1. Novartis 4,527 + 4.5
2. Monsanto 2,997 + 22.8
3. Zeneca 2,630 + 11.3
4. AgrEvo 2,493 + 6.4
5. Du Pont 2,472 + 6.5
6. Bayer 2,360 + 1.2
7. Rhone-Poulenc 2,210 + 5.7
8. DowElanco 2,000 + 1.9
9. Cyanamid 1,989 + 4.1
10. BASF 1,541 + 8.4
Rhone-Poulenc and Du Pont both reported strong sales in
Europe, Latin America and Asia. Rhone-Poulenc's sales were
boosted by high sales of its new maize insecticide, Regent
(fipronil), due to be launched in the U.S. next year. Much of
the company's U.S. agrochemical business is based on the
older carbamate insecticides such as Sevin (carbaryl), Temik
(aldicarb) and Larvin (thiodicarb) which were acquired when
Rhone-Poulenc bought out Union Carbide. The company is
currently restructuring its U.S. operations to create two new
business units which will focus on "new" and "mature"
products.
Monsanto's increased sales were due in part to sales of
Roundup (glyphosate) which were allowed for use on transgenic
herbicide-tolerant crops for the first time in 1996. Roundup
Ready (glyphosate tolerant) soybeans were planted on over one
million acres in the U.S. in 1996, and Monsanto predicts an
eight to ten million acre crop this year. In addition,
approximately 250,000 to 300,000 acres of Roundup Ready
soybeans were planted in Argentina for the 1996/97 season.
Since 1995, Monsanto has invested over US$200 million in
glyphosate manufacturing technology, and plans to invest
another US$180 million for 1997.
While glyphosate-tolerant crops offer potential for expanded
sales of Roundup, in the next few years most of the increase
is expected to come from increasing adoption of "conservation
tillage" practices in countries around the world. Monsanto
estimates that the practice could be extended to more than
240 million acres worldwide by 2000, up from the 185 million
acres at present. More than 40% of the volume growth of
Roundup in recent years has come from expanded use of
conservation tillage practices.
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency is currently
investigating claims that residues of glyphosate have been
detected in Copenhagen's drinking water at levels exceeding
European Union limits of 0.1 milligrams per liter. According
to the head of the Copenhagen food safety agency, residues of
up to 0.18 milligrams per liter have been found.
Source: Agrow: World Crop Protection News, No. 278, April 18,
1997.
Contact: PANNA
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